Care homes in Wales could be forced to close as a result of new immigration rules announced by the government, it has been warned.

Mario Kreft MBE, chair of Care Forum Wales, has called on Home Secretary Priti Patel not to “close the door” on overseas workers at a time when the sector is already suffering a major recruitment crisis.

The new system - set to come into force in January 2021 - will aim to end visas for low-skilled workers and cut the overall number of migrants coming to the UK.

It will award points to applicants based on skills, qualifications, salaries, English-speaking ability and professions, with overseas workers required to have the offer of a skilled job with an “approved sponsor” to come here.

The government is also backing a recommendation to lower the salary threshold for skilled workers wanting to come to the UK from £30,000 to £25,600.

Mr Kreft said: “This is something we have been warning about for a long time because it is clear that these proposals will have dire consequences for the social care sector and, more importantly, for the vulnerable people we look after.

“In recent years we have seen homes closing across Wales because their fragile finances just did not stack up because social care remains chronically underfunded despite it being such an important service.

“On top of that we are having to contend with a debilitating recruitment crisis which will be even worse unless the Government have a change of heart in relation to social care.

“The way fees are calculated means that it is possible to earn more stacking shelves in a supermarket than it is to provide social care for our loved ones.

“We need to explode the myth that social care staff are low skilled – that’s not true. They are just lower paid and that’s not fair.

“The new rules just do not make sense when you apply them to social care.

“One unintended consequence will be that it will place even more pressure on an already creaking NHS.”